Smartphones and similar hand-held electronic communication devices are now globally ubiquitous and provide numerous, well-recognized commercial and social benefits. Such devices are characterized by being of flat, thin form (typically measuring, in inches, about 4⅞ to 5½ by 2¼ to 2¾ by 5/16, which is beneficial in some respects but does as well entail features that are less than entirely desirable from certain standpoints.
More particularly, when used manually smartphones (and as employed herein that term is intended to encompass analogous hand-held electronic communication devices) are normally held by the edges with the thumb and fingers, which is not entirely comfortable and may produce considerable fatigue during usages of extended duration; this is so even when the smartphone is contained in a protective, cushioning case, as it often is. Smartphones may of course also be used simply by laying them on a flat, underlying surface, but placement may not be stable or disposed at a desirable angle under some circumstances, and often support on a structural surface is simply not feasible.
Devices for holding smartphones and the like have been provided in the past but, as far as it is known, any prior holders that have enabled hands-free support and utilization of the telephonic (i.e., speaking and listening) aspects of the communication device have required speakerphone, Bluetooth, and/or microphone-incorporating headset supplemental connectivity. Moreover, such hands-free utilization alternatives are not always optimal from one or more standpoints: e.g., speakerphone use is compromised by background noise and lack of privacy; headset use is compromised by tangled cords and interruption of conversation while being plugged in; Bluetooth utilization has been minimally adopted for fashion and stylistic reasons, or otherwise; use, mounting, and dismounting of the device, is inconvenient; the holders themselves are not comfortably held for use of the mounted device; the holders do not enable the mounted device to be presented in desirable, multiple orientations; device size-accommodation is limited; the quality of projected sound may be poor; aesthetic attributes are lacking; etc.
Holders in the form of brackets or rests have of course previously been provided to enable shoulder support of conventional, land-based telephone handsets. Such holders are not adapted however for use in connection with smartphones and other electronic communication devices.
Representative of prior art of a possible interest to the present invention are the following:
U.S. Publ. U.S. Utility U.S. Design Application No.Pat. No.Pat. No.Foreign Patent Docs.2002/0091952,486,438D273,677DE 1012006005111 A12002/1901765,187,744D276,229DE 202004006834 U12004/0911025,457,745D278,057DE 202005002590 U12005/1560885,836,563D290,956DE 202011051891 U12006/1268246,085,113D299,187EP 07756092006/1835116,229,891D321,186FR 29173542007/0454956,285,758D367,065GB 24386622007/2237456,966,533D449,043KR 1011864412008/2687936,980,836D449,831KR 1012782592008/2963328,412,289D453,017KR 200500209012009/1841458,428,665D548,457WO 98575682009/2701438,596,412D596,393WO 111525972011/0009458,616,327D623,651WO 120168622011/143583D658,1672011/163211D676,0342011/183728D678,8702012/0246192012/0272372012/0377832012/2350052012/3031462012/3129362013/0484132014/003021Despite the activity in the art indicated by the foregoing, the deficiencies described above have not been adequately addressed or satisfied.